Four Insulate Britain supporters were found not guilty at Horsham magistrates court today after blocking the motorway during Insulate Britain’s 2021 campaign of nonviolent civil resistance demanding that the government insulate Britain’s cold and leaky homes. [1]
Venetia Carter, Susan Hagley, Dr Diana Warner and Steve Gower appeared before District Judge Amanda Kelly charged with wilful obstruction of the highway in relation to the Insulate Britain roadblock between Junctions 9 and 10 of the M25 on 21st September 2021. [2]
During the two day trial, the court heard how the roadblock, which consisted of 23 Insulate Britain supporters on one side of the carriageway and 15 on the other side, was cleared very quickly by the police. Some Insulate Britain supporters sat on the road for only 13 minutes before being removed. The police did not use solvent to remove supporters whose hands were glued to the motorway and arrests were announced by megaphone.
Susan Hagley, 67, retired from Ipswich said:
“The demands of Insulate Britain have never been more important or relevant at this time of the cost of living crisis and rising fuel poverty. It’s scandalous that in the sixth richest nation in the world thousands die each year from fuel poverty and the climate crisis is affecting millions of people around the world. None of us can be insulated from climate collapse. I feel vindicated and relieved to have been acquitted.”
Venetia Carter, aged 58, self employed tutor from Brighton.
“I’m delighted Judge Kelly recognised that it would not be right to convict us for our action on the M25 that day. I only wish the government had listened to our demands to get homes insulated. People are now beginning to wake up to why insulation makes sense. Time for the government to wake up too.”
The result comes as another public nuisance jury trial at Inner London Crown Court resulted in a hung jury. In the eleven Insulate Britain jury trials for public nuisance charges to date, two trials have resulted in a hung jury, two trials have resulted in acquittals, five have resulted in a guilty verdict and two have been deferred. [3]
ENDS
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Notes to Editors
[1] Insulate Britain is a campaign group that is calling on the UK government to put in place policy and funding for a national home insulation programme starting with all social housing by 2025, and create a meaningful plan to insulate the entire UK housing stock by 2030.
Further information about Insulate Britain and our demands here:
https://insulatebritain.com/
Technical Report on home energy efficiency here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jt5FI-kinEXoqZtPDrCvnAVQ2EFn8Aea/view
Insulate Britain ‘Blue Lights’ policy: our policy is, and has always been, to move out of the way for emergency vehicles with ‘blue lights’ on.
[2] https://insulatebritain.com/2021/09/21/38-arrested-as-insulate-britain-blocks-m25-for-fifth-time/